Man die een handkar trekt 1869 - 1941

Johannes Abraham Mondt made this drawing of a man pulling a cart with pencil and watercolour. Look at the way he's used these humble materials, it’s all about capturing a moment, a feeling of everyday life. The colours are muted, almost like a faded memory, mostly greys and browns, but then there’s that pop of blue in the man’s jacket and a flash of red in his tie. The lines are loose, quick, like Mondt was trying to catch the scene before it disappeared. Notice how the wheel of the cart is more suggested than fully drawn, giving a sense of movement. I’m reminded of Daumier, his drawings of Parisian life, but with a Dutch twist. Both artists share that interest in the working class, in the beauty of the mundane. Art’s like a conversation, each artist riffing off the others, adding their own voice to the mix. There’s no right or wrong way to see it, just different ways of looking.